


Found

by MissNMikaelson



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-08-06 23:55:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16397495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissNMikaelson/pseuds/MissNMikaelson
Summary: Every supernatural being in the world – be they witch, werewolf, traveller, hunter or siren – is born with a series of numbers on their left wrist. These numbers countdown until the moment they meet their soulmates, and only hit zero when their eyes meet. It is said that there is an instant connection – a physiological response.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own TVD or TO

Every supernatural being in the world – be they witch, werewolf, traveller, hunter or siren – is born with a series of numbers on their left wrist. These numbers countdown until the moment they meet their soulmates, and only hit zero when their eyes meet. It is said that there is an instant connection – a physiological response.

Human beings can only ever dream of such things, for their counters are hidden from the eyes. There is one way in which a human may activate their counter and that is to complete the transition into vampirism.

* * *

If there was one thing the Original vampires hated more than anything in the world it was the daggers. They loathed them with a burning passion. Nothing ever quite compared to the horror of being trapped within one's body; unable to move, unable to think, unable to breathe. There was no method of knowing how much time had passed until waking up either, but it was guaranteed to last a decade or two at the very least.

They could be sure that the people they had known before falling under the deathlike spell were all dead.

Perhaps the worst thing was the counters. They continued on even as the ancient vampires slept. The siblings never knew if the counter would run out while they were under the daggers effects.

* * *

She paused in the process of setting up hundreds of red solo cups filled to the brim with water. The liquid had splashed up onto her sleeve. Using the rag in her pocket she mopped the water up as best she could before sliding her sleeve up her arm; the action revealed a series of numbers slowly counting down like the stop watch teachers used for tests.

For as long as she could remember she'd had the numbers. Her parents had told her to always keep them covered up. As a child that had meant long sleeves, but later she had taken to hiding the numbers under her watch.

The first person to ever see them had been Stefan the night they were first intimate. He had been surprised to find them there because they were markings only found on the arms of supernatural creatures and not on the wrists of random individuals as her mother had led her to believe.

Stefan had proven his point by showing her his own wrist; the numbers were locked in at zero. His explanation had been hesitant at first, but eventually he had told her that the numbers counted down the moments until a person met their soulmate.

As the months had passed it became known that she was a doppelganger, and that this was likely the reason she had been born with the counter. She'd stopped worrying about hiding the numbers after her 'death' because just about anyone who would have seen the marks had marks of their own. Tyler was a werewolf, Bonnie was a witch, Caroline was a vampire, and her brother and Matt knew about everything.

Still part of her was kind of bummed that Stefan wasn't her soulmate, and a large part of Damon was upset that she wasn't his.

She didn't love Damon, and she wasn't sure if she was in love with Stefan either. She would always love him, but she didn't believe her feelings for the vampire that had introduced her to this crazy supernatural world were romantic in nature. She wanted him to come home because he was her friend, and Damon's brother, but she knew everyone thought she was still in love with him.

Elena shook herself from her thoughts and turned her focus from the steadily decreasing numbers to the cups. Math had never been her best subject (she couldn't do quick division in her head) but she knew that there was at least a few days left on the counter. Musing over her soulmate could wait for a little while; right now she had to finish setting up the prank for the first day of school and meet up with Bonnie to help finish filling the pool with balloons.

* * *

She honestly wasn't sure how she had gotten here. One moment she was blowing up balloons because Bonnie was out of breath, then she was running from a homicidal maniac; the same one that had killed her months before.

Now she was locked away in a bedroom. She had watched in shock as Klaus used her blood to successfully turn his first hybrid. The next she had been whisked away at vampire speed and deposited in the room she now occupied.

She had to hand it to his mother. The woman had been a mad genius. In order to break his hybrid curse he needed to drain the doppelganger of blood, but in order to create a hybrid he needed the blood of the doppelganger.

Her stomach knotted. She lifted her eyes to his smug smile.

"Welcome home, love," he held out his hands and smirked.

His hand wrapped around her upper arm when her eyes darted to the door behind him. He squeezed the soft skin hard enough to leave bruises and pinned her to the wall.

"Don't even think about it," his free hand tore the vervain filled locket from her neck and tossed it into a far corner of the room. "As you've seen tonight I find myself in need of your blood. Now I have no intention of killing you Elena – it has become apparent I need you alive. However, I can't have you running off on me, so…" he caught her chin and met her angry eyes, "… you will not leave this house unless I am accompanying you, and you will not harm yourself in any way. I'll not have you pulling a Katerina either."

Elena gritted her teeth and glared up at him. She mentally cursed herself for not drinking vervain as well as wearing it. His concern for her well-being might have been touching if he wasn't thinking of his own gains.

"What do you want from me?" She exhaled when he finally released her arm.

"What I want is an army of hybrids," he stepped back.

"So what?" She paced after him down the length of the hall. "You're just going to keep me locked up for the rest of my life?"

"Of course," his smirk was infuriating. "Eventually though you'll have to have children; you can't possibly live forever as a human being and I'll want another doppelganger one day."

Elena froze on the staircase as her blood ran cold.

* * *

She stared out the window as the sun cast long shadows through the glass. She'd been held prisoner by Klaus for a week now with no sign of a rescue in sight. She hadn't seen another living soul since he'd brought her to the sprawling mansion, but still her counter decreased; maybe it only counted down to the moment when you were meant to meet your soulmate, and it didn't matter if you actually met them or not.

Who was there for her to meet?

She eventually tore herself from the window and pulled open the large walk-in closet. She still didn't know if Klaus had gotten a minion to run out and get her clothes or if he had gone himself, but either way the knowledge that someone had picked out her underwear was disconcerting; everything was the right size though and for that she was grateful.

She wasn't overly thrilled about the types of underwear in the drawer though. The scraps of lace and silk were very nice, but not exactly her style. She wasn't entirely sure she could pull off the skimpy lace, but luckily the rest of the clothes were closer to her style. They were high end designers but normal-ish. She covered the black underwear with skinny jeans and a dark red dolman sleeve blouse that clung to her hips before slipping into a pair of flats.

Klaus had left to go somewhere with Stefan. Her ex – who she had still considered a friend until the kidnapping – was being no help at all in getting her out. She might have thought that Klaus had compelled Stefan as well, but she knew he was still without his humanity; the only thing he had compelled Stefan to do was to not harm her.

With her ex and her captor out hunting down a pack of wolves she had been given the run of the house. She knew she'd be alone for at least until the sun rose the next day before Klaus returned; he had told her he'd be hunting a pack of wolves all night and that he would expect a healthy donation of blood when he returned to the mansion.

She peeked out the windows of each room as she passed in an attempt to discern whether or not she was still in Mystic Falls. If she was she didn't recognize the area the house occupied. She wandered from room to room for the better part of an hour before she stepped down into a large room.

Her eyes didn't see the beautiful artwork that had been professionally lit along the walls, or the gorgeous antique desk before the floor to ceiling windows. She didn't register the hardwood floors. Her eyes were glued on the coffins arranged in a semi-circle around the center of the room.

She swallowed nervously and ran her fingers carefully over the smooth mahogany of the first coffin.

_I had a family. Over the centuries, Klaus hunted them down one by one and he took them from me. He scattered them across the seas where their bodies would never be found._

She quickly located the latch and lifted the lid. Sure enough there was a body inside. Elijah was laid out flat on his back with a silver dagger protruding from his chest. She left the lid open before moving to the next coffin.

The man looked like he'd gone to sleep sometime in the middle ages. That had to be the last time his long hair, green tunic, and jerkin were considered fashionable.

The third coffin revealed a man who couldn't have been much older than her – physically at least. His dark hair was combed neatly to the side. He wore a dark green button down shirt and a black vest that put Elena in mind of the early twentieth century.

The next coffin was shorter, and the moment Elena opened it she saw why. It held the body of a young woman in a vintage dress that Caroline would have killed for when they had the 20's dance.

The final coffin wouldn't open.

Her fingers were curled around the edge of the dagger in the girl's chest when she second guessed herself.

She wasn't hesitant to wake the Original vampires up. Nobody deserved what they had been subjected to, but the memory of how hungry Elijah had been after only a few weeks had surfaced.

Klaus had compelled her not to harm herself in any way, shape or form. This might have been her loophole to that order, but in spite of the plans he had for her she had no desire to die; she wanted to live, and being the only human in a house full of ravenous vampires was most definitely a bad idea.

"I can't leave you," she released the dagger and chewed her lip, "but I don't think I dare wake you either." She worried her bottom lip for a few minutes before leaving the 'viewing room' and slid through the halls until she found the kitchen.

If she hadn't spent so much time around the Salvatores she definitely would have gagged upon seeing the shelves of blood bags, but she had gotten used to the sight. She grabbed a bowl from under the counter and filled it with bags of the thick red liquid before closing the fridge and making her way back.

She placed the blood bags neatly along the top of the antique desk. When they were lined up she started at the last coffin holding the girl and extracted the dagger. The metal clanged when it hit the bowl. She made a quick round of the room.

"I'm not sure if any of you can actually hear me," she balanced the bowl on her hip and fiddled with the lock on the door, "but if you can please drink the blood before leaving the room. I'd rather not be drained dry."

She knew logically that the locked door wouldn't protect her from anyone but she still locked it. The wood would give them pause at least and hopefully distract them long enough to ensure they refueled.

Elena made her way through the house while examining the blades. A thin layer of blood clung to the bottom of each.

She wiped them clean in the kitchen and laid them out on the table.

"Now, what to do with you?" Elena ran her fingers back through her hair. She bent at the waist propped her elbows on the table and held her head in her hands while staring at the antique blades.

Her bedroom would be the first place Klaus would look. She was the only person who could have lifted the daggers from his siblings. The second option would be to give them to Elijah, but she was rather upset over the whole ritual/betrayal business; she didn't want to give the daggers up. She had no intention of using them either.

Coming to a decision she gathered the sharp knives in her hand and started looking everything over. She found a tall vase in the library with a lid; it was the perfect size. She dropped them all inside, replaced the lid and made sure to run her hands over several of the shelves and sofas so her scent would linger in more than one place.

Her eyes narrowed when she left the room full of books and looked down onto her left wrist.

* * *

It was a sickening feeling: first waking up after the dagger was removed.

Every vital organ was shrivelled and dry, but that didn't stop the body from waking. That sense of being trapped in the confines of the limbs faded away to be replaced by a need for blood; it was pressing.

Elijah was the first to awaken. He sat up quickly and gasped for breath while looking into every corner of the room. How long had Niklaus left him asleep this time?

There was no possible way of knowing until he asked. He was on his feet in an instant when he noticed the other coffins open as well. He had just enough time to register the lack of daggers when Rebekah sat up with a gasp; she was swiftly followed by Kol.

* * *

She worked away at a sandwich while reading the first chapter of The Great Gatsby. She was attempting to make herself forget about the last ten minutes; it wasn't working.

* * *

"How long have I been asleep?" Rebekah drained a bag of blood and reached for another. Once upon a time she had used her counter to keep track of the years Nik stole from her, but her counter had hit zero a few weeks before he'd stabbed her in the heart.

"I don't know," Elijah shook his head. His own timer had run out long ago during the years Niklaus had kept him daggered.

Kol unbuttoned his sleeve. His eyes grew round at the numbers left on his skin. Close to a hundred years had passed; the last hundred years. The blood he had just consumed boiled in his veins. There was nobody else in the house aside from his siblings.

"I'm going to kill him," Kol growled. There were only ten seconds left on his arm. He pushed his siblings and tore open the door as the last few seconds counted down.

Based on his reaction Elijah assumed the counter had stopped at 0.000

* * *

10 seconds…

She shouldn't have been in that hall.

8 seconds…

She should have stayed in the kitchen, or gone back to her room.

6 seconds…

A door was wrenched from its hinges.

5 seconds…

Her heart leapt into her throat.

4 seconds…

She ran into a solid body. Her hands curled around the dark green fabric of his shirt.

3 seconds…

Her eyes slowly raked up the man's face.

2 seconds…

Mouth…

1 second…

Nose…

0.00000

Eyes…

Her heart thundered loudly. She could hear the blood rushing in her ears as warmth spread down her spine making her entire body tingle with electric energy.

His anger disappeared. On instinct his hands reached out to steady the slim woman's hips. The only thing he noticed about her was her mahogany eyes. He didn't remember the last time his heart had pulsed as it did in that moment. His body hummed with energy; it was the kind of energy he hadn't felt since the night his mother had turned him: magic. For one long moment it pulsed through him again.

"Kol, I was under the impression you were going to kill Niklaus," Elijah paused when he stepped into the hall. "Elena?"

She dragged her eyes from the young man in front of her to the one who had called her name.

"Elijah," she slowly released the dark fabric. The spell seemed to break with the loss of eye contact. "Is that possible?" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I wouldn't be overly opposed."

Reluctantly Kol released her hips. That was when he saw the rest of her features; her very familiar features.


	2. Chapter 2

She rested a hand on her hip when she came around the corner after her brothers and froze in her tracks. Her blue eyes darted from the brunette, Elijah had referred to as Elena, to Kol and back. There was a slightly dazed expression on both of their faces. She remembered that look well; her own features had mirrored it a few weeks before Nik had shoved a dagger through her beating heart.

She dropped her gaze to Elena's wrist: 0.000. Kol's arm held the same reading.

"It didn't time out while you were asleep, did it?" Rebekah met her brother's eyes. She took another look at the girl when Kol shook his head confirming what Rebekah already knew.

Her entire belief system went flying out the window. She had thought when Katerina came into their lives and torn her brothers apart that the woman had been not a doppelganger but a reincarnation; who else but Tatia could destroy the bond between Elijah and Nik. Rebekah had thought that there would never be another because of Katerina's actions. How could her soul be reborn if she still lived?

The girl before her was human. The doppelgangers were clearly different. For a brief moment she wondered if this one would come between Kol and Elijah, she clearly knew the older brother, but the thought was quickly shaken off. Rebekah would give this 'Elena' the benefit of the doubt.

"Well," the blonde turned to Elena, "it would appear your life just got very interesting." She cocked her head to the left to better hear the thumping heart in the room. "Kol you might want to take your soulmate far from this room. Finn's waking up and I'm not sure we've got enough blood."

"I'll go get more," Elena crossed her arms to ward off a chill. She turned on her heel and walked briskly in the direction of the kitchen. Finn had to be the one from the middle ages; he was going to need a lot of blood.

Her head was reeling when she stepped into the brightly lit room and made her way to the refrigerator. She froze with her fingers curled around the handle.

"Bloody hell," he blinked at the steel contraptions lining the marble countertops. Some things looked familiar but he couldn't fathom why there were long black cords curled around the base of the objects.

Elena turned around and found that Kol had followed her from the hall. She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her giggle. He was examining the room with a look of wonder in his eyes; she got the sense he didn't display that kind of emotion often.

"Are you laughing at me, darling?"

Elena paled. She hadn't made a sound but her shoulders had shaken slightly and he must have caught the amused twinkle in her eyes. Her insides glowed when he called her darling.

"I would never," she gasped dramatically causing him to chuckle. The sound was deep and warm.

"Don't make sweeping declarations you can't keep, darling."

A tiny thrill raced down her spine.

_Stop it Elena,_ she scolded herself,  _you know nothing about him._ Another little voice sounded in her head.  _He's your soulmate. Doesn't that mean your soul knows him? Also he's really cute… even with the dorky hair and bloody shirt._

Her eyes flickered to his chest when he came around the counter. He had buttoned his vest so most of the rust coloured stain was hidden.

"You… uh…" she swallowed and ran her thumb over the smooth handle of the fridge. "You said you wanted to kill Klaus; why?"

"Locking me in a wooden box isn't reason enough?" He cocked a heavy brow.

"That would be reason enough for me, but he get the sense he's done that a lot," she finally pulled open the door. Reaching inside she pulled out a handful of bags.

"He does make a habit of locking us away when we disagree with him," he nodded solemnly. "I don't think we've ever been down at the same time though." He watched her place the bags of blood, Elijah had shown him and Rebekah how to open them, on the countertop. "I wanted to kill him when I saw my counter."

Elena's eyes widened when she turned to look at him.

"There were only ten seconds left," his thumb swiped over the finished counter. "I thought only my siblings were in the house. How did you find yourself here, darling?" He leaned on the counter. His heart thundered in his chest when she was silent; was Nik planning on sacrificing her in his ridiculous ritual?

"Klaus kidnapped me," she held the counter and rocked back on her heels.

"Why would he do that?" Elijah held the arm of Finn when they stepped into the kitchen followed closely by Rebekah.

"I should think that was obvious," the blonde sat on a bar stool, "he wants to sacrifice her and awaken his werewolf side." She reached for a bag of blood and opened it. "I'm famished," she hummed at the thick liquid that hit her tongue. She would have preferred something a little warmer, but it sounded like Elena was the only human in the house and she wasn't about to bite the woman; Kol would have her head on a platter.

"For heaven's sake, Elijah," Finn pulled his arm free, "I'm not going to attack the woman who woke us."

The siblings looked to Elena who nodded in confirmation; it seemed that Finn had heard her after all, but judging by the looks on the other faces in the room his siblings had not.

She picked up a blood bag and passed it to him when he approached the island. His siblings were looking reasonably healthy, but he still appeared to be grey.

"It's not that," Elijah turned his gaze from Finn to Rebekah, "he already used her to break the curse." He sighed when Kol growled. "How are you still alive, Elena?"

"John sacrificed his life for mine," she blinked back her sudden onslaught of tears. He hadn't been a great uncle to her, and he had been a less than stellar father but he had been the last parent she had; Klaus had taken both of her birth parent from her.

Elena sniffled and blinked in surprise at the patterned green handkerchief that was pressed into her hand.

Elijah waited until she had dried her eyes before asking.

"Why did he kidnap you Elena?"

"If he broke his curse than what could he possibly want from you?" Kol kept his hand on the small of her back.

"He needs me," she laughed without any real humour, "because your mother was a bit of a mad genius. He had to have my blood to break the curse, but in order for a hybrid to complete the transition the first blood they drink has to be mine. I haven't left this house in a week."

"Where is Niklaus," the colour started to return to Finn's face.

"Out," she shrugged, "tracking down a pack of wolves with my humanity-less ex-boyfriend."

"Then why are you…" Rebekah's eyes widened in realization. "He compelled you so you can't leave."

"Mmhmm," Elena nodded, "I'm also not allowed to hurt myself in any way. I only went exploring today. That's how I found all of you."

* * *

"I'm not really sure what the situation was when you were daggered," Elena grabbed a towel from the linen closet and a washcloth, "did they have showers? Never thought to learn about the history of showers."

"They had them," Rebekah placed the towel on the vanity. "I might need you to show me how to work this one though."

"Sure," Elena nodded. She twisted the knobs to start off the water and showed Rebekah how to switch it from tub to shower. "I'll try and find you something to wear."

She left the blonde vampire alone to shower and slipped back into the bedroom. Crossing the floor she pulled open the closet door and flipped through the hangers. She wasn't sure the pants would fit right, and she didn't want to completely shock the blonde with an overly short skirt. Rebekah had emerged fresh from the 1920s.

Elena finally settled on a blue wrap dress that fell to the middle of her calves when she held it up in front of the mirror. The tie around wraps would make it adjustable for the differences in their figures. She was laying the blue material on the bed when there was a knock on the door.

She pushed her hair behind her ears and looked up. Her breath caught when she saw him. He was fresh from a shower and wearing what she assumed were clothes stolen from Klaus. The blood stain was a thing of the past, for the time being, and the gel had been washed from his hair leaving behind softer locks.

"Hi," she cleared her throat.

"Hello," he stepped into the room and came to a stop in front of her. "In all of the excitement we were never properly introduced." He took her hand and lifted it to his lips. "Kol Mikaelson."

Her knuckles tingled under his kiss.

"I kind of picked that up," she smirked. "Elena Gilbert."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Elena Gilbert," he grinned. There, in her presence, he felt lighter than air. It was a feeling he had never experienced around her predecessors. "Tell me darling," he lowered her hand but didn't release it, "why did you wake us? You knew nothing about any of us. For all you knew we were worse than Klaus."

"Well," she shrugged one shoulder, "technically I knew Elijah before, and nobody is as bad as Klaus. He's on a whole other level." She drew in a deep breath. "I might not have known anything about you but I couldn't leave you like that."

"How come?" Kol tilted his head and met her eyes. "Many in your position, with your knowledge, would have turned around and walked away. Waking us will not sit well with Nik, darling. He's killed for less."

"I don't think he'll kill me," her lips twisted in a grimace. "He needs me alive; told me as much the other day. He wants me alive. He wants my blood. Eventually he wants me to have a kid so he gets another doppelganger in five hundred years." She bit down on her cheek and closed her eyes for a moment to catch her breath and actually answered his question. "It didn't matter to me what any of you had done in the past; nobody deserves to have their lives stolen away from them. How long were you asleep?"

"I was last daggered in 1913," his thumb rubbed absentminded circles over her knuckles.

"Last?" Elena's eyes grew round.

"Mmhmm," he nodded, "the first time was in the year 1114; it only lasted a few moments. Then Nik and Elijah put me under again in 1702 and I slept until 1821. Nik woke me for a few weeks before I was daggered again until 1901."

Elena's eyes had grown wide with horror as he spoke. He'd spent nearly 300 years of his life in a box. That was nearly a third of his life unconscious at the hands of his brother.

"That's nothing compared to Finn," Kol murmured, "Nik never woke him in 1114. He's been asleep since then; although it seems as if he regained the ability to hear during those centuries."

Elena's knees grew weak. It was horrendous what Klaus had done to his own family. There were times Jeremy annoyed her, but the worse she had ever done was slam the door in his face after posting a sign that read 'no-boys-allowed'.

"Elena?" Kol took a firmer grip on her elbow when she swayed.

"I…" she brought her hand up to his chest and pressed her palm over his beating heart, "… I'm sorry."

"It's hardly your fault, love," he offered a small smile. "What exactly did you do with the daggers?"

"I hid them," Elena drew her bottom lip between her teeth and blushed when his eyes tracked the action.

Kol glanced around the room and rolled his eyes when Rebekah emerged wrapped in a large towel.

"They're not in here," Elena rolled her eyes. "This is the first place Klaus would look."

"Are they outside somewhere?" Rebekah picked up the dress and slipped back into the bathroom.

"No," Elena called after her. "He compelled me to never leave the house unless he was with me. They're in the house." She wasn't sure why she was telling them; all she knew was that she had no desire to lie to him. She wondered if she was even capable of it.

Of course she was; she just didn't want to. She wanted them to know because they were capable of finding a much better hiding place for them than she had.

She slid her hair behind her ear and squeezed his hand before leading him back downstairs.

"Where are you taking me, darling?" His eyes raked slowly over her features. He had imagined his soulmate many times over the centuries as the numbers had slowly decreased but he had never thought she would wear a face he was already familiar with.

He could already tell she was nothing like the others. He suspected Nik hadn't really needed to compel her not to hurt herself; she didn't seem in the least inclined to do so.

"The library," Elena pushed open the door to the hall of books. She crossed the room and lifted the antique vase. Removing the lid she turned it over and upended the contents onto the leather sofa.

Four glinting silver daggers fell.

Kol examined the vase and the shelf it had come from. If he hadn't watched her walk directly to it he never would have picked it out in the library.

"Not a terrible hiding spot," a chill raced down his spine. He absolutely hated those daggers. "Rather clever actually," he nodded, "I've a beautiful, compassionate, clever soulmate."

Elena perched on the arm of the couch and looked down when he lifted the daggers and sat beside her.

"You know," she glanced to her wrist. "A week ago I was getting ready to start my last year of school and watching the numbers go down. I thought it was going to be a new student because where else would I meet anybody. I didn't think it mattered anymore when Klaus brought me here, but…"

"It seems like that was always part of the design," he lifted the blade of one dagger and stared at the hilt. "You had to come here to wake me up; otherwise we might never have met."

"Is that possible?"

"Yes," he lowered the blade again, "Elijah's counter timed out while he was under the effects of this knife. I was certain mine was going to do the same when I bumped into you in the hall." He placed the daggers on the low coffee table and took her hands. "Thank you for taking it out. No matter how this relationship progresses I need you to know I'm grateful for what you did today."

"You're welcome," she met his earnest eyes. Energy shifted between them and made the air crackle; warmth trickled down her spine. She felt like he was looking into her soul again; she liked that feeling. That knowledge that he could see her; she wondered if he'd had any form of relationship with her doppelgangers.

He wondered how she would react when she learned of some of the things he had done over the centuries. He hadn't exactly been a model citizen; at times he had even rivaled Nik in his brutality. Those had been the times he had been trying to get his siblings attention by being the nuisance they thought he was. She certainly wasn't expecting her other half to be an Original vampire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter should have the return of Klaus and Stefan. Stefan still has no idea who Rebekah is to him, but I can't remember if Rebekah knew Stefan had been compelled or not.
> 
> Also I planned out the rough outline for La Vie en Rose today and it's at thirteen chapters at the moment but it might get longer.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.

Elena blinked tiredly at her blurred reflection in the mirror. The steam from the shower had left behind a layer of moisture on the reflective glass so she could only make out her outline.

She rubbed most of the water from her long hair and hung the towel on the rod beneath the window. She took the brush with her into her bedroom and tugged it through the knotted curls until it ran smoothly through her hair. Normally she preferred to shower in the morning but she didn't really have a routine anymore; she missed her routine.

She missed waking up every morning at the same time. She missed fighting with Jeremy over who got the bathroom first and rushing off to school with a piece of toast in her hand because she'd spent too much time getting ready.

She missed school. She missed her friends. She'd even take Damon's not so subtle unwelcome advances in that moment.

She swiped a tear from her cheek and sniffled as quietly as she could. Her emotions in the days since Klaus had taken her had consisted of anger and fear; she hadn't allowed herself to cry, but now that she had stopped she found she was drowning in grief for the things she had lost.

The night of the accident her lungs had filled with water until she'd felt as if an elephant had been sitting on her chest. The sadness rested heavily on her heart.

Her head lifted towards the door when a soft knock sounded. She blinked back the tears that had been shimmering in her eyes. She stood from the bed and made her way to the door.

She swallowed and drew in a deep breath before opening the door. A line appeared between her brows when she saw the person on the other side.

"Are you alright?" Rebekah tilted her head.

Elena didn't trust her voice in that moment so she nodded instead. She knew Rebekah didn't believe her when she carefully pulled her into her arms.

Elena's shoulders shook when the tears fell free and stained the blue material on the blonde's shoulder.

"Shh," Rebekah rubbed Elena's back and moved her to sit on the edge of her bed. She couldn't remember if she'd ever seen either of the other two truly cry; she'd thought them incapable of the emotions required for the act. They had put on pretend tears to get what they'd wanted, but Rebekah didn't think Elena had been doing that. She'd been attempting to keep quiet in the solitude of her room, but there was no doubt in Rebekah's mind that Kol would have entered the room if he had heard her tears; maybe that was why she'd been keeping quiet.

"It's alright, love."

Elena shook her head. It wasn't alright; she doubted it would ever be alright. Klaus would never let her go, and she would never see her family again.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Rebekah ran her fingers soothingly through Elena's hair in an attempt to comfort the young woman.

"I…" Elena closed her eyes and pushed herself to sit up straight. She'd always hated crying; she hated the way it made her feel like a helpless child. "I m-miss him," she swiped the last of her tears away and blinked away the fresh wave that threatened to fall.

"Who?" Rebekah tilted her head. Had she been involved with someone before Klaus had abducted her?

"My b-brother," Elena's vision blurred. She didn't mean to unload everything on Rebekah, but once the blonde got her talking she couldn't stop; she was a lot like Caroline that way: easy to talk to.

Rebekah wanted to tell her she would see them all again, but she couldn't. She didn't want to lie to her, and she knew that nobody ever escaped Klaus. She stayed with Elena until she fell asleep.

* * *

Kol spun the point of the dagger on the tip of his finger. His eyes were trained on the finished counter on his wrist. When he thought of how close he had come to missing her, his blood boiled.

"If you still had magic I'm certain that dagger would melt under your glare," Elijah adjusted his cuffs.

"If only," Kol sighed, "that would have saved me a lot of trouble over the centuries." He slammed the dagger down on a low coffee table.

"I'd love nothing more for those to be destroyed," Rebekah glared at the silver on the wooden table. She lifted her gaze to Elijah where he was leaning against a bookshelf watching the sun rise over the trees. "She's got a brother?"

"Elena?" He turned from the window. "Yes she has a younger brother: Jeremy. Knowing Niklaus he's taken Elena without a second thought; her brother's probably worried sick and probably has the Bennet witch looking for her."

"Bennett?" Kol cocked an eyebrow.

"Bonnie Bennett is a descendant of Ayana," Elijah nodded. "She lives near Elena's home; it's close to the village where we grew up."

"Speaking of location," Finn glared out the window, "where exactly are we?"

"I'm not sure," Elijah shook his head, "I'd assume close to Mystic Falls. Elena did say one moment she was at school and the next she was here after he had taken her. It's possible we're still within the town borders."

Rebekah drew in a deep breath and dropped to sit on the couch with her feet curled beneath her. She tapped the arm of the couch and stared out the window towards the crunch of gravel.

"What is that?" Finn tilted his head and pointed towards the driveway.

"That would be a car," Elijah followed his older brother's arm.

Elijah watched the doors open as four people stepped out. He recognized his soon to be maimed brother and Stefan Salvatore, but the young man and woman who climbed out of the backseat. They both had amber eyes ringed in sweeping black lashes, sharp cheekbones, full lips, and thick auburn hair. The shared features told Elijah the pair was likely related. The dirt smudged on their faces told him they had spent the night running through the woods.

"It appears his outing was fruitful," Elijah nodded.

The woman looked up at the house and shivered.

_"Do see them inside. I'll fetch the blood."_

Elijah turned from the window when Klaus disappeared and he heard a small rush of wind from the other side of the room.

* * *

Klaus flashed inside the house and up the stairs without pausing. He had been hoping to find more wolves after the full moon, but the 'pack' he had been tracking turned out to only be two. It was alright though; the Allen siblings would make the first additions to his hybrid army.

He had left Tyler amongst his friends in Mystic Falls after he had completed the transition with explicit orders. Tyler was to ensure Elena's friends never found out where he had taken her, and not to tell anyone that he was sired to Klaus.

Klaus came to a stop outside her bedroom door a few seconds after leaving Stefan outside. His hand closed around the handle and twisted but before he could push he was physically thrown across the hall into the wall. An ornate picture frame fell down onto his head.

"Kol," his eyes were wide when he looked up into his little brother's face. He backed up a bit into the wall.

"What's…?" Elena froze in her door frame and took in the sight of a shell shocked Klaus sprawled across from her room.

"You know what," Klaus jumped to his feet, "this is going to have to wait," he nodded to Kol, "I've a pressing matter to attend to with my doppel…"

Elena stifled her shriek when Kol moved faster than she could see and Klaus fell at her feet with a broken neck. She swallowed and lifted her eyes from her kidnapper to her soulmate.

"Good morning, darling," he tilted his head and turned to meet her wide eyes, "did you sleep well?"

"Better than I have," she pushed her tangled hair from her face. "Why'd you do that?" Her eyes darted to Klaus.

"He returned from the woods with a couple of wolves," Kol exhaled slowly, "and given what you told me last night it was clear he was coming for your blood."

"So you broke his neck?" She arched a brow.

"I might not be able to take you home Elena," he took a step closer and moved her hair over her shoulder, "but I can do everything in my power to keep him from using you."

His fingertips grazed the shell of her ear; her breath hitched and her heart quickened. He bit down the sudden urge he had to bend and capture her sweet lips in a kiss.

"That wouldn't include a way to get me out of here?" She breathed.

"If only," Kol chuckled. He traced her features with his eyes; if it weren't for her he might have been long gone by that point.

The desire to live without the threat of a dagger over his head was strong, but he had waited centuries to find his other half. He didn't think he could have left her if he wanted to. If she wanted him to it would have been a different story, but he wouldn't be leaving her especially while she was in the care of his power-mad brother.

"How long's he going to be out?" Elena exhaled slowly.

"Not too long," he sighed. Reluctantly he lowered his hand from her hair.

"And these wolves…" she tilted her head and closed her eyes, "… did he already…"

"Did he already what, darling?" His eyes flashed with curiosity.

The endearment sent a thrill down her spine. She wondered if she'd ever get tired of it, or the way he looked at her.

"Are they in transition already?" She crossed her arms.

"I'm not sure," he shook his head. "Nik didn't pause. He ran up here the moment he got back; he didn't even realize we were awake until I pulled him from your door." He frowned when she stepped over Klaus with a quick nod and headed to the stairs. "Where are you going?"

Reaching out he caught her elbow gently.

"To find out," she looked at him over her shoulder. She frowned when he smirked.

"I actually got that bit, love," his thumb rubbed a soft circle into her olive skin, "I meant 'where are you going' like that?" His eyes roamed down her body slowly.

Her eyes narrowed in confusion until she looked down. She had forgotten about her clothes, or lack thereof. She'd donned a pair of black silk pajamas the night before, but whoever had bought them hadn't been thinking like she did; her typical sleepwear consisted of sweats and a camisole not silk shorts that might as well have been underwear.

"I'm gonna throw something on," she blushed and slid back into her room. In her closet she changed into a pair of black and pink lace underwear before yanking on a pair of jeans and a cashmere blue sweater. She didn't bother with shoes; it wasn't like she could go outside anyway.

She was pulling her hair into a messy bun when she stepped back out into the hall with Kol.

"Better?" She held out her arms.

"I was a fan of the former outfit," his smile was teasing, "but this is just as lovely." He fell into step beside her on the path down the stairs. "Why do you want to know about the wolves?"

"Because," she moved to tuck her hair behind her ear before remembering she had put it up, "if they're in transition they'll die without my blood, and I'm not going to condemn someone to death just to spite Klaus."

"You are something else," he murmured.

"Is that a bad thing?" She paused on the stairs.

Kol stopped a step below and turned to face her. He tilted his head and searched her mahogany eyes.

"Not bad," he held the rail, "just something else. I was in Asia when the second Petrova got mixed up with my family, but I did know Tatia."

"Oh?" She bit her lip and tried not to look too curious.

"Yes," he nodded, "and she would have gleefully done such a thing to spite someone. I saw her do it a few times. She was a bit of a… well a bitch. Do forgive my rude language, darling."

Elena shook with a small laugh.

"That's okay," she bit down on her cheek, "accurately describes Katherine. Actually… it's a nicer term than I would have used for her."

"Would you really give your blood?" His expression turned serious.

"If that's the only way they can live then yes," she sobered. "Why; are you going to stop me?"

"No," he shook his head, "but I would compel them after to leave and forget Nik before he enforces the blind loyalty that comes with the bond."

"How come?"

"I can respect that you don't want to be responsible for someone's death," he took her hand and walked backwards down the stairs, "but I really want to spite my brother."

"Nobody dies?" She stepped down with him.

"Not by my hand," he smiled. "We'll need to hurry though, darling. Nik will be waking up within the hour: alright?"

"Okay," she nodded.

Kol turned around at the bottom of the stairs and froze. His eyes flickered from the newcomers to his siblings. Rebekah was locked in a staring contest with the vampire who had escorted the wolves inside the house; he could see the anger flashing in her eyes and the confusion on the man's face.

"Hi Stefan," Elena subconsciously squeezed Kol's hand.

"Elena," Stefan nodded. "Who's your friend?" He tilted his head and looked pointedly to their joined hands.

"Who are yours?" She countered.

"Melody and Noah Allen," he nodded to the shivering people behind him, "Klaus broke their necks a few hours ago."

"You two know each other," Rebekah turned to Elena.

"Yes," Elena nodded, "I believe I mentioned my humanity-less ex-boyfriend."

"You did," Rebekah nodded. "I just didn't realize your ex was mine."

"What?" Elena's brows shot up. Shouldn't Stefan have mentioned knowing an Original before when they were dealing with Klaus?

"I've already told you I don't know who you are," Stefan crossed his arms, "and I really don't care."

Elena caught the flash of hurt in Rebekah's eyes.

"Where's Nik?" Rebekah turned her angry gaze to Kol.

"Outside her bedroom," Kol nodded to the stairs. "Why?"

"Because I'm going to maim him," she flashed around the couple on the stairs.

 


	4. Chapter 4

The spatula clattered to the floor sending grease down the front of her sweater. She was more concerned with the burning sensation along her palm. The cut had stopped bleeding after a few drops had fallen into the glasses for the Allen siblings so that she had completely forgotten about it until she had tightened her hold on the cooking utensil.

"I can heal that if you like."

Elena looked up from where she was pressing a white towel to her hand.

Kol came up beside her and bent to retrieve the spatula. He dropped it in the sink and reached for her hand to inspect the wound.

"In retrospect," Elena inhaled when he lifted the bloody rag, "I should have used my left hand."

"Or you could let me heal you," he teased. Turning on the faucet he cleaned her palm in the clear flow of water.

Elena tilted her head and watched his calm expression. In her experience with vampires they often allowed their true features to show in the presence of blood, but his face remained as human as hers.

Kol, meanwhile, was running his tongue over his extended canines and trying not to let his eyes shift. It had been a long time since he had felt such a strong craving for someone's blood; since he had physically reacted to the presence of the life-giving liquid. He did not wish to frighten her, so he swallowed his desire, and attempted to block out the exquisite smell.

"Kol," Elena caught the tick of his jaw, "are you okay?"

"Perfectly fine, darling," he turned to her with a small smile.

That was when she caught the struggle in his dark eyes. Her left hand slid back over the marble countertop until her fingers closed around a crystal glass. She held it under the faucet and watched it fill halfway before setting it on the counter and nodding.

Releasing Elena's hand he bit the pad of his thumb and allowed a few drops to disappear into the glass of water. He watched her drain the crystal glass and inspected the cut as the skin knit back together.

Elena swallowed. His thumb was rubbing small circles over the former wound and sending electric jolts up her arm. Her breath caught in her throat as his free hand lifted to brush her hair back and graze her cheek with the softest of murmurs.

Her eyes flickered over his face as he shifted marginally closer to her. There was still a good half foot between them, but the air seemed to crackle with electricity. The heat made her heart pound and her skin flush.

"Well isn't this touching," a droning voice broke their hypnotic spell.

Elena exhaled slowly and carefully pulled her hand free. She cursed softly when she saw the state of breakfast; a few more seconds and the French toast would have been completely ruined. Snagging another spatula from the drawer she flipped the bread over and turned back around.

"What do you want Stefan?" She set the utensil on the counter and rolled up her sleeves.

"Mainly to get away from the yelling," he tilted his head in the direction of the stairs. "You're sister has quite the set of lungs," he addressed Kol, "and a rather extensive vocabulary."

"I don't hear anything," Elena frowned.

"She's been having a go at Nik for the past five minutes," Kol watched Elena remove the food from the pan and add more.

"Hungry, 'Lena?" Stefan smirked.

"Yes," her reply was clipped, "I am starving, and I thought everyone else might be too."

"Rebekah is working up quite the appetite," Kol chuckled.

"Your counter stopped." Stefan's eyes fell to Elena's wrist when she finished cooking.

"It did," Elena reached into the fridge for the fruit she had prepped earlier.

"Yesterday," Kol added.

Stefan's eyes darted between the pair on the other side of the kitchen counter. He wasn't even sure if they realized that they were moving in sync; always angled towards each other. Before he got a chance to respond to Elena's revelation one of his own became clear.

It took a second for the shrill voice and corresponding gasps to register with him.

_"You compelled my soulmate to forget me, you bloody bastard!"_

_"If were getting technical I compelled him to forget us both."_

_"You knew what they were to each other and you still did it?"_

Stefan's eyes widened and darted to the counter on his wrist; the counter that had finished during, a hazy period, in the twenties. It had been a period of time that was a complete blank to him. He had always assumed he had been too far gone, or on some sort of blood binge when he was meant to have met his mate; something shifted in the back of his mind.

"If you'll excuse me," Stefan spun on his heel.

"Where are you going?" Elena frowned.

"Unlike you, Elena, I am not bound to this house," he drawled. "I think I'll go and terrorize the locals for a while."

Kol waited a beat after hearing the front door close and leaned on the kitchen counter and crossed his arms.

"You and Stefan, then?"

"You almost sound jealous," she fixed couple of plates.

"Am I that obvious?" Kol chuckled.

"A little," she pressed her lips together to temper her smile. "Stefan is my ex-boyfriend. He was the one who told me what the counter actually was. He was surprised to find I had one at all."

"Most humans don't," Kol blinked when she passed him a plate. "What's this?"

"Breakfast," she smirked over her shoulder. Making her way over to the table she took a seat and smiled when he joined her.

"You know vampires don't have to eat, darling," he picked up a fork.

"Doesn't mean you can't," she took a bite of French toast. Her hunger slowly abated with each bite.

Kol nodded and dutifully took a bite. His eyes widened when the combination of sweet and tart exploded on his tongue. The second and third were not duty bound.

"Someone's hungry," Elena giggled and covered her mouth with her hand so her fork pointed towards her own plate.

"This is delicious," he pointed to his plate with the fork. "You're an excellent cook."

"Thanks," a slight blush rose in her cheeks. "I kind of had to learn otherwise Jeremy and I might have starved. Aunt Jenna meant well, but she couldn't boil water."

Elena blinked back a few tears.

"You miss him," he stood and circled around the table. Sitting in the empty chair to her left he took her hand.

"Haven't you ever missed your siblings?" She shifted closer to him.

"We're not really that close," he ran his thumb over her knuckles. Even when they were human he had felt excluded from the others and their promise of Always and forever; he suspected Finn might share his sentiments. "I spent several centuries on my own; I did miss Rebekah though. It can be good fun getting her riled up."

"Why is she so mad?" Elena's eyes narrowed. She could hear the distant sounds of pained screams.

"Evidently," he pointed to his ear and then towards the stairs, "Stefan is her soulmate, and Nik knew it when he compelled him."

"So…" Elena's heart clenched, "… she'll be angry for a while."

"For a long while," his hand slid down so he could stroke his thumb across the numbers on her wrist.

Elena followed his gaze to her arm and shivered.

"I don't really know what any of this means," she admitted quietly. "Until last year I didn't even know soulmates existed."

"Your parents didn't explain," a line appeared between his brows.

"My parents were human," she shook her head and hooked her foot around the chair leg, "and I was adopted. If they knew anything they weren't very forthcoming."

Kol brought her arm up and pressed a delicate kiss to her wrist; he could feel the shiver that raced up her skin.

"Every supernatural being is born with them," he began. Tilting his head to look into her eyes he could almost block out the sounds of heavy blows a floor above them. "My mother always thought it odd that ours were so high; it made sense after we turned though."

"You had this before?" Elena reached for his arm.

Goosebumps rose over his skin under her touch.

"We were witches," he nodded. "Finn and I were the only ones to practice, but we were witches."

"Were?" Elena tilted her head.

"You can't be both darling," his smirk didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I think people said that about werewolves too," she swallowed.

"That different," he exhaled.

Elena couldn't help but wonder how. How come Klaus got to keep that which he was born with while Kol didn't? It might have made sense for those that came later, but he was an Original. He had been turned with magic; he hadn't been sired.

"We've gotten a little off topic though," he squeezed her hand, "I was telling you about the counter. Everybody has them, but they are only visible on the supernatural; they count to the moment soulmates first lock eyes."

Elena nodded, so far everything he had said she already knew.

"I've come across a few over the centuries," he continued. "From what I have seen once they've met several things can start to happen. I've seen mates share unspoken communication; I don't know if it was instinct, or if there was a telepathic connection."

"I guess we'll find out soon," she smiled. His warm hand in hers was raising her mood and making her bubble with joy; she could have gladly held his hand all day.

It was remarkable to how comfortable she was with him.

"They also say the physical chemistry is… palpable," he smirked. He could hear her heart beating wildly in her chest; it did every time he touched her. He liked finding reasons to hold her hand just so he could hear her heart flutter.

"They are always very protective of each other," he met her eyes, "and in the event when both are witches they draw on each other's strength and power."

"And what does it mean for us?" Elena blinked slowly. She had never been sure she truly believed in soulmates; that had always been Caroline's thing. Even knowing what the numbers on her wrist meant still gave her pause. Could there really be someone out there who was perfect for her? Was there really someone who was her other half; someone with whom she would be completely comfortable from day one?

That last one was true. She had felt at ease the moment his eyes first met hers. Her body had hummed with energy, while a sense of calm had overtaken her mind.

"Honestly," he sighed and squeezed her fingers gently, "I don't know yet. I do know that you're now tied to the most dangerous family in history."

"I was kind of already entangled in that," she attempted to smile. "I had the misfortune of being born a doppelganger."

"There's nothing misfortunate about what you are, Elena…" he cleared his throat when she raised a brow. "Aside from my brother of course. Being a Petrova does still make you a traveller."

"A what?" A line appeared between her brows.

"A witch, darling," he smiled softly, "of sorts. Travellers are cursed…"

"Story of my life," she sighed.

"They're cut off from traditional forms of magic, but they can still practice by drawing on their own individual power."

"I don't know much about witches," Elena bit her bottom lip, "but isn't that what they do?"

"It is, but a witch can also draw on nature and other witches," Kol's fingers threaded between hers. Sitting there with her he could almost feel the energy in her body; he hadn't felt anything like it in centuries. Granted he hadn't tried.

"What the bloody hell is going on in here?" Klaus snapped a few bones back in place and glared between them. "Are you the guard dog then?"

Elena saw the shift in his shoulders and heard the lowest of growls coming from Kol's throat.

"You're the only dog in this house, Nik," Kol tightened his grip on her hand and prepared to move her quickly if necessary.

Elena shook with a silent laugh at the comment.

"Where are the others?" Kol leaned back casually. "Don't tell me they're done with you already."

"It's not as if they can do any lasting damage," Klaus rolled his neck as the last of his bones healed.

A sense of dread crept up her spine.

"What have you done?" Kol was barely on his feet when Klaus moved.

Kol grunted. His head bounced of the wall; he could smell his own blood where it ran down his neck.

After a thousand years in this life he was strong, but he was no match for the physical strength of the Hybrid. The element of surprise had played in his favour earlier, but he no longer had that.

"Where are the daggers?" Klaus held his brother's throat in a vicious grip.

"Where are our siblings?" Kol countered. He caught Klaus' elbows and threw him across the kitchen towards the island.

"Upstairs," Klaus snarled, "I broke their necks." He jumped to his feet, snatched a knife from the block and hurled it through the air.

Elena stifled her shriek and dove under the table. Coming up on the other side she saw Kol drop the clean knife on the floor.

"Perhaps you should go upstairs, darling," his eyes never left his half-brother.

Elena started backing up. She froze when Klaus turned his eyes on her.

"I should probably be asking you that question," his eyes blazed gold, "you were the only one who could have removed them."

There was a rush of wind and suddenly Kol was in front of her. Elena only got the briefest of glimpses of his back before there was a crash to her left.

The glasses in the cabinet shattered on impact and rained down on the scuffling brothers.

She really was starting to leave the room again, but the pained cry of her soulmate stopped her. She couldn't have explained her reasoning, or even how she got from point A to point B, all she knew was that one moment she was a foot from the door and the next she had driven the chef's knife deep into Klaus' back.

She gasped and stumbled back into the island when Klaus fell temporarily neutralized. Her entire body shook like a leaf until she was enveloped in Kol's warm arms.

"That was incredibly foolish, darling." He bit down his pained groan.

Elena's arms snaked around his waist. Pressing her cheek to his chest she counted the hastening beats of his heart and narrowed her eyes to slits.

"Kol?"

A single vein under his eye pulsed when she pulled back to look at him. Her mouth popped open when she saw the nasty bit on his neck; angry red streaks made their way down towards his heart.

She didn't bother stifling her shriek when his neck twisted at an unnatural angle. She fell to her knees and choked on her sob.

Klaus managed to get a grip on the knife in his back and pulled it out with a wet sound. Rinsing it in the sink he bent and took hold of her arm.

"Let me go," she struggled against his much stronger grip.

Klaus paused and pretended to consider her demand with pursed lips and a tilted head.

"No," he took a firmer grip on her arm and tugged her towards the door, "it's high time we were gone from this town."

Elena screamed and pulled on her arm to no avail.

"Struggle all you like, love," Klaus tore open the door of the mansion and pulled her to the black SUV, "nobody is coming to help you. They're all recovering from their broken necks, and the process takes a lot longer with werewolf venom coursing through their veins."

"You bit all of them?" She stared at him aghast. "You bit your family?"

"My family was getting in my way," he slammed her into the door of the car, "they can have the daggers for all I care, but I will be taking you. As I've said I have plans for you, my lovely little doppelganger."

"I'm not yours," she spat. "I don't belong to anyone."

"Those numbers on your wrist say you do," he glanced down. "I guess you'll never know who it is though."

"Oh, but I do," Elena held up her arm with a small smirk, "you just broke his neck."

"Kol?" Klaus' eyes narrowed. "That explains why he attacked me, and why the others did. They get touchy about soulmates."

"You don't seem to care at all," Elena glared up at him.

"I compelled Rebekah's to forget her," Klaus leaned closer until he was only a hairsbreadth from her lips, "tore Finn from his, and left Elijah asleep when he should have had the first meeting."

"What is wrong with you?" Elena inhaled and tried to back up, but there was nowhere to go.

"We all made a vow centuries ago," his nose brushed hers, "family above all; always and forever. Soulmates threaten that vow by creating discord amongst us."

"It seems like you're the one doing that," Elena's heart pounded wildly with anger.

"Yes, well," his hand curled around her throat, not tight enough to choke her but enough to let her know he was the one in control. "I want what I want, love, and I will take it; even if it means taking stealing my brother's mate away."

"Now get in the car," he let go of her to open the door.

Elena spun around. She made it two steps before her arms were seized and she was hoisted off her feet.

She kicked and hit when he dropped her into the passenger's seat.

"I had hoped we'd do this the easy way," Klaus heaved an exasperated sigh, "but it seems you've already grown attached."

He captured her chin in his strong hand and forced her to meet his eyes. For a brief moment he considered making her forget what she had learned over the past twenty-four hours before changing his mind; it would be far more fun to watch her in agony. Besides he could always make her forget later.

"You will stop fighting me this instant," he smirked when her limbs grew still, "and you will not struggle again; neither will you leave this car without my express permission. In fact you won't speak unless spoken to for the rest of this journey. Am I making myself clear, love?"

Elena glared at him and seethed silently.

"That required an answer," his grip tightened leaving bruises on her pretty skin.

"Yes," she ground out through gritted teeth.

"Wonderful," his angry features smoothed into a mask of concern. "Now put on your seatbelt love. We wouldn't want you getting hurt if there's an accident."

Elena had never thought of wanting to be a vampire, but in that moment, had Klaus not compelled her, she would have gladly jumped in front of his car.

* * *

 

Bonnie raked her hair back from her face and sighed. She was mentally exhausted and her day hadn't even begun yet. Thankfully it was the weekend which meant she could go and get a few hours of sleep before resuming the search for Elena.

They had all been looking round the clock for the missing brunette. Tyler seemed convinced that Klaus had taken Elena out of town, but so far every locator spell had come back empty.

Damon was currently looking out of state for Elena, and Jeremy was busy trying to find something that would help them locate his sister. After every failed spell he would search for something else in her room that she had a deeper connection with, so far there had been nothing. Her journal had given Bonnie only the briefest of glimpses of the brunette, but it had been an image of her in a library; hardly anything to go on, and the journal had only worked once since the leather book had somehow gone up in flames when she tried again.

Bonnie feet dragged heavily across the front porch to the door. She blinked tiredly at the frosted glass. A manila envelope was taped to the window; her name was written in block letters.

Reaching inside she extracted a single sheet of heavy paper bearing an address outside of town. Flipping the page over, made her breath catch in her throat.

Elena stood in a lavish kitchen wearing a stained sweater next to a tall man who was all but obscuring her from view. He was holding her hand and pressing his thumb into her palm.

Bonnie flipped the page again and pulled out her cell phone. The call connected on the third ring.

"Caroline? I think I've got something."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew... that one got a little long.
> 
> I've never written Klaus this way. I always write him as the family above all kind of guy; he has funny and downright destructive ways of showing he cares, but he always did care.
> 
> I haven't decided if he really doesn't care yet, or if he's just without humanity.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TVD or TO.

Bonnie frowned at the map coordinates on her phone. According to the GPS the house should have been ahead of them on the left, but she could see nothing but trees.

"Are you sure you put it in right?" Caroline slowed to a crawl. Her narrow eyes scanned the sides of the road.

"Positive," Bonnie murmured. Just to be sure she pulled out the picture and double-checked the address with her phone.

Caroline caught a glimpse of the colour photograph. She tilted her head and pursed her lips.

"He's cute," she nodded.

"You can only see his back," Bonnie frowned.

"That's all I need to see," Caroline smirked.

"Really, Care?" Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Elena's missing."

"I know," Caroline stopped the car, "and it's been driving me crazy, being unable to help her. Sometimes I just need to think about something else to distract me from how worried I really am."

The blonde's grip on the steering wheel was white-knuckled. She doubted Klaus would kill Elena, but that didn't mean he wouldn't hurt her. Of course there was no way she could know that for sure; she had only caught a glimpse of the Hybrid when he'd grabbed Elena's arm the previous week.

"I wonder who this is," Bonnie pushed her hair behind her ear. The way he held Elena's hand, and the way she was looking at him… there was something comfortable about it. She got the sense, from his posture, that he would protect the brunette.

Caroline's eyes continued to scan the side of the road.

"I wonder who sent you the picture," Caroline sighed. "Someone with a cruel sense…" She spotted something up ahead and trailed off.

Wordlessly she put the car back in drive and inched forward towards a concealed opening in the trees. It was impossible to see properly until they were practically on top of it.

Caroline turned the wheel sharply and edged down the hidden path. It wound in a wide spiral before opening to reveal a sprawling mansion.

"Woah," Bonnie dropped her cell phone.

"That's more like it," Caroline breathed.

"Should we have brought back up?" Bonnie glanced at her from the corner of her eyes.

"A badass witch, and a vampire," Caroline pointed to the two of them, "against the Original Hybrid… probably, but it's too late now."

* * *

She could feel her pulse. It slammed in her neck. Her boiling blood made her cheeks flush scarlet.

She would have loved nothing more than to slap him senseless, but that would have been a very bad idea. He had compelled her not to fight him, and not to hurt herself in anyway; putting herself in the path of an angry hybrid would certainly be harmful to her health.

She couldn't even scream at him.

The only thing she could do was walk along quietly as he steered her into the plush seat on the private jet.

She couldn't even ask where he was taking her.

The only thing she could do was glare, and she glared. If looks could have killed Klaus Mikaelson would have been reduced to a large pile of dust.

"Are you going to glare at me the whole way?" He came back from the cockpit.

"It's the only thing I can do," she crossed her arms over her chest.

"There's plenty of reading material," he smirked. His eyes darted to a closed cabinet at the back of the plane. "That will be much more interesting than staring at me."

"I don't want to read," she snapped.

"Suit yourself," he shrugged. "Fasten your seatbelt, sweetheart."

Her eyes flashed with fire.

"What did I say about fighting me?" His eyes narrowed to mirror her glare.

"I'm not fighting," she muttered, "I'm not doing anything."

Her stomach knotted when he flashed in front of her in a rush of wind. She flinched back into the seat and grasped the armrests tightly.

She could almost feel his fingers gripping her chin again. Elena was expecting him to grab her, or compel her. She swallowed, looked up into his hard blue eyes, and held her breath.

Elena only broke the eye contact when she felt his hands at her waist. She followed the line of his arm and saw him buckling her seatbelt; she caught sight of his left wrist when he moved backwards.

86400.47

Attempting to divide the large number in her head proved impossible, but she did know that his counter was less than hers had been when he had abducted her the first time.

It was a matter of days before the seconds stopped ticking. He had admitted to ruining each of his sibling's soulmate relationships; what would he do to his?

She supposed she would find out soon whether she should pity the poor soul or fear for their life.

* * *

Caroline's eyes darted to her wrist when she knocked on the door. In all of the chaos she had completely forgotten about the numbers, but waiting for someone to answer the door was taking a while.

86400.47

"Why are we waiting?" Bonnie crossed her arms.

"Because," Caroline sighed, "on the off chance someone is pulling an elaborate prank, or that it was Katherine in the picture and Klaus is using her to distract us." She stepped back and peered through a picture window into a tasteful sitting room. "I'd rather not be arrested for trespassing. Mom's got the whole department on vervain, so I can't compel us out of any trouble."

"It would be very embarrassing for the Sheriff's daughter to be arrested," Bonnie agreed. "Are we sure anyone's home?"

Caroline jumped down from the porch and started circling around the house. She peered into every window as she passed. The house seemed to be deserted. She called back over her shoulder when she reached the kitchen windows.

"Bonnie!"

Broken glass littered the floor along with silverware, overturned cups, and the remnants of what looked like French toast. She could just make out an arm poking out from the other side of the counter.

"I'm thinking we've got the right house," Bonnie pulled the picture from her pocket, "that's the counter."

"And that might be the guy," Caroline nodded. She flashed towards the kitchen door and twisted the knob; it was locked, so she pulled the door from its hinges.

"Not so worried about getting arrested now," Bonnie remarked.

"He's hurt," Caroline walked inside.

"No," Bonnie bent over the side of the counter and shook her head, "he's dead."

Caroline cursed when she saw the angle of his neck. She was about to stand back up when a glint of blue caught her eyes. She turned his hand over to make sure.

"Not for long," she nodded to the daylight ring on his finger.

* * *

The flight itself had not been long. They were only in the air for four hours.

She had spent most of that time wondering where he was taking her. At first she had thought he would flee the country, but that hadn't happened; it was clear that hadn't happened.

She knew they had been flying south, and she had recognized a few landmarks as the plane landed.

Elena wanted to ask, she really did, but he had compelled her not to speak unless spoken to for the rest of the journey. As far as she knew New Orleans was only a layover.

She wouldn't be able to speak until he told her they had arrived.

Since he had compelled her not to fight him she had no choice but to stand when he took her arm and follow him from the plane into a waiting car. At least this time he wasn't holding her in a bruising grip.

That could change on a dime.

* * *

"Should this be taking that long?" Bonnie leaned against the wall. Her eyes flickered from one pale face to the next.

She tried not to look at Elijah too long. Every time she did her blood boiled with rage.

"You'd think an Original would heal faster," Caroline sighed. She had flashed around the interior of the mansion and found no sign of Elena. The nearest room to the 'dead' bodies held her scent; it was in every corner, but Elena herself was gone.

"That bite mark looks bad," Bonnie nodded to the girl's arm. The blonde didn't look to be much older than her. "Do you think they're all Originals?"

"I think it's a safe bet," Caroline tilted her head. She heard bones snapping back in place; her eyes snapped to the blonde as she sat up with a loud gasp.

Rebekah looked around frantically. What little blood remained in her face drained when she saw her brothers lying in the hall. She jumped to her feet in a blur of movement and turned on the two women standing off to the side.

Caroline flashed to take a protective stance in front of Bonnie. It didn't take a genius to figure out the vampire before her had been bitten by a wolf. She remembered vividly the time Damon had been infected and she didn't want Bonnie finding herself on the wrong side of this woman's teeth.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" Rebekah swayed and fell against the wall. If she'd had any doubt about what Elena had said her brother's bite had driven it from her mind.

"I'm Caroline," she said, "and this is Bonnie. We're looking for our friend."

Rebekah's brow furrowed. Somewhere in the back of her mind she recognized the names. It took her a few seconds to sort through the fever haze and locate the memory: a sobbing doppelganger.

"You're Elena's friends," Rebekah attempted to straighten up. The steps she took were unsteady. "I need blood," she gasped and held a small table.

"I'd recommend anyone but me," Bonnie huffed.

"I wasn't going to bite you, love," Rebekah frowned. She rolled her neck and inhaled slowly.

"Are you going to tell us where our friend is?" Caroline regarded the blonde warily.

"Probably with Kol," Rebekah exhaled. "I think they're in the kitchen."

Bonnie paled.

"The guy in the kitchen," the brunette swallowed audibly, "if that's Kol than she's not with him."

Rebekah frowned and flashed downstairs to the sound of bones clicking back in place. Her heart stuttered when she saw the broken glass and smelt blood. Through her tunneled vision she saw her brother sprawled behind the counter.

"Like I said," Bonnie gasped and rushed into the kitchen, "she's not here." The young witch pushed up her sleeves and crossed her arms.

* * *

Finn sat up and brushed his hair back from his face. Chills ran up and down his spine even as his body burned with a fever.

He took Elijah's hand when it was offered and stood up. He shook his head when he saw his own wrist. It had been a long time since he had been on the receiving end of a werewolf's teeth, but he had been certain the hallucinations took longer to begin; of course he didn't know how long he had been unconscious either.

"Come on," Elijah stifled his cough, "blood will speed up the process."

Wordlessly Finn followed him downstairs with his eyes glued to his wrist. The numbers counted down slowly just as they had 950 years before. As far as hallucinations went this one was strangely cruel.

* * *

"So Elena was with him?" Bonnie stood in the door away from Rebekah and the other Original who would wake up at any moment. She already knew the answer, but she thought keeping the girl talking would distract her from the delectable human girl who would be perfect for quenching her thirst.

"Yes," Rebekah pulled open the fridge and took out several bags of blood. She had them drained in a matter of moments; the life-giving liquid helped to clear her head marginally, but she knew it would be at least until nightfall before the fever broke and the bite healed.

"Why?" Caroline held the edge of the table.

"They're soulmates," Rebekah tore into another bag. She held up her hand when Bonnie took an involuntary step forwards. "Stay back. I have relative control, but Kol is waking up." It had taken all of her will power not to lunge at the brunette in the upstairs hall.

Bonnie held up her hand and backed up. Her eyes caught the diminishing numbers on her wrist.

"So Elena and Kol…" Caroline sucked on her teeth.

"Yes," Rebekah sighed, "and I know what you're thinking: this should mean she's safe from Klaus, right?"

Caroline and Bonnie nodded.

"It doesn't," Rebekah sighed. "Nik has never held any respect for our soulmates. Elijah never met his, Finn was torn away – I heard she died a few years later – and mine was compelled to forget me. And since he was compelled by Nik only he can undo it."

Caroline curled her fingers into fists.

"Is Elena in more danger now?" She inhaled sharply.

"Klaus still needs her blood," Bonnie shook her head. "She's reasonably safe; from the sounds of it she might be the only soulmate to escape unscathed."

"Kol will take a good chunk out of Nik when we find them," Rebekah resisted the urge to reach for more blood. Her brothers were going to need some too. "Believe me when I say we'll all help."

Bonnie scrutinized the blonde's pale face. There was a fierce determination in her blue eyes. There was no doubt in her mind that Rebekah Mikaelson would rip her hybrid brother a new one.

"I believe you."

Rebekah nodded. She crossed her arms to ward off her chills and leaned forward over the counter.

"Miss Bennett," a rough voice sounded behind her, "Miss Forbes?" Elijah stepped down into the kitchen and looked between the women. "What are you two doing here?"

"Seriously?" Caroline scoffed and threw up her hands. "Seriously?"

"I do apologize," Elijah swallowed, "that was a poor choice of words. What I meant was how did you find this place?"

Bonnie heard Kol coming too when she turned around and reached into her pocket for the folded photograph. She lifted her head with the intention of passing the image to Elijah when she froze.

Emerald eyes met dark brown ones and an electric jolt raced down her spine. Bonnie's heart pulsed; the electricity, the magic, flowing through her veins made her entire body tingle with energy.

For the second time in his life he felt his heart skip a beat before pulsing wildly; a familiar energy raced through him: magic. There was something familiar in her eyes.

"Miss Bennett," Elijah tilted his head and frowned. She had been silent for several seconds. Hesitantly he reached out and took the heavy paper from her hand.

"So I guess twice in a lifetime is a thing," Kol looked between his eldest brother and a woman he didn't know. He recognized the dazed look in Finn's eyes; it had been in his the day before.

"What do you think?" Rebekah whispered and handed him a bag of blood. "Two soulmates or reincarnation?"

Kol didn't answer. He didn't even take the bag of blood. His eyes were busy frantically darting from side to side. She wasn't there. He flashed out of the kitchen and around the house; to his credit he only collided with three walls before he returned to the kitchen.

"Where is she?" Panic gripped his heart. The veins under his eyes pulsed with the intensity of his emotions and his insatiable hunger.

"You were the last one to see her," Rebekah exhaled. She tossed the bag of blood across the kitchen to him.

The entire exchange had taken less than thirty seconds.

Elijah flipped the page with the address over. His eyes widened at the picture of Kol and Elena in the kitchen; she was wearing the same sweater she had been wearing that morning, at least… he assumed it was that morning.

"Where did you get this?"

Rebekah tilted her head and caught a glimpse of the picture. The image had been taken from the door in which Finn still stood locked in a staring contest with Bonnie. There were only three people, who had left the house that day, and only one of them knew Elena's friends; she assumed anyway.

"Stefan," Rebekah laughed humourlessly.

"Stefan," Caroline turned to the blonde. "Why would Stefan send us this? He's got no humanity; he couldn't care less what happens to Elena."

"Maybe not," Kol drained a bag of blood, "but he did overhear Rebekah screaming at Nik; I'd guess that he's angry. Anger is usually the first emotion to come back."

"Why would he be angry?" Bonnie slowly came out of her daze.

"Do you remember what I said about him compelling my soulmate?" Rebekah cocked an eyebrow.

* * *

"Hmm," Elena scoffed. "I figured you'd run a lot farther than this."

"Did I tell you that you could speak?" Klaus gave her a pointed look.

"You've brought me to another mansion in the middle of nowhere," she crossed her arms. "I'm just assuming we're done."

Klaus looked her up and down quickly before nodding.

"For the time being," he nodded. "There are several wolf packs nearby."

"And in the meantime I'm on house arrest again," Elena spun on her heel and stomped up the wide staircase. She slipped into a bedroom with dark wood furniture and slammed the door.

It was only an hour later, when she was staring at the ceiling, that it hit her.  _'You will not leave this house unless I am accompanying you.'_

* * *

Caroline bit her lip and tapped her heel against the floor. She tilted her head and glanced around the kitchen.

"What about using Kol?" Her eyes darted to the vampire on the other side of the room.

"What do you mean?" Kol frowned.

"Bonnie's been looking for something Elena has a strong connection to or a locator spell," Caroline straightened her spine. "I can't think of anything that would work better than a soulmate."

"You're a witch?" Finn tilted his head when Bonnie nodded.

"That would work," Kol nodded.

"Then we'll try," Bonnie bit her bottom lip. Her eyes fell to the angry bite on Finn's neck before making a round of the room. "Are you going to die?"

Elijah chuckled and shook his head.

"No, Miss Bennett," he dropped the photograph, "a werewolf bite, even from the Original hybrid, cannot kill us."

"At worst we'll be sick for a few more hours," Kol drained another bag of blood. "This helps with the symptoms," he held up the bag before throwing it into the garbage.

* * *

Elena waited until nightfall when she heard the car crunching over the gravel of the driveway before making her way downstairs. She waited twenty minutes before opening the back door.

Taking a deep breath she lifted her right foot. She didn't exhale again until she was standing beside the pool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So in this version of the timer AU the countdown can restart. Finn slept for 900 years; he didn't think to look at it when he first woke up because in his mind it had stopped long before he went to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Loopholes: she had never been the type to exploit them, preferring to follow the rules and her own moral code. But she hadn't given her word, she hadn't promised anything, she had been compelled.

She had a way out. Her eyes darted to the rippling water and squinted against the late afternoon sun; the light refracted and dazzled her.

Had it really only been that morning when she had stood in the kitchen with Kol? Mystic Falls seemed so far away. Kol was so far away.

Holding up her hand to block out the light she caught sight of her palm. The skin that had been sliced open that morning was whole; Kol's blood was still pumping through her veins.

How long before it stopped?

If she jumped in the pool would her breath cease first?

She had the thought once and found her feet wouldn't budge an inch in the direction of the water. She had always told Stefan and Damon that she didn't want to be a vampire, but in that moment she wanted nothing more than to plunge headfirst into the shallow end of the pool.

Gritting her teeth and holding in her groan she backed away from the pool and circled around to the front of the house. She spared the Grecian columns a cursory glance before pulling her hair into a sloppy ponytail with the band around her wrist and adjusting the laces of her shoes.

She used to love running, and thankfully she had worn sneakers when she finally got around to getting them. Her skinny jeans would make the process uncomfortable, but at least her feet would be alright.

Pausing at the end of the driveway she looked left and right. One way led to deeper woods and the other was the road they had taken in to the mansion. She knew if she followed it she would eventually come on the outskirts of the city, but the odds of Klaus being somewhere on the road were too high for her liking.

She turned instead to the wooded path. All roads eventually led somewhere.

* * *

An electric jolt raced up her arm when her fingers brushed Finn's leaving behind a tingling sensation that lingered under her skin. She knew the touch, but it was unfamiliar at the same time; unknown to her body, but ingrained in her soul.

Whenever their skin brushed she would look at him from the corner of her eye and be struck with a strong sense of déjà vu.

"Are you sure this will work?" Rebekah checked the bite on Kol's neck. It was still angry, but the dark streaks were marginally shorter.

"It's the best chance we've got."

Rebekah spun on her heel before Bonnie had finished speaking and faced the door. Her shoulders tensed as she prepared to strike, but her eyes narrowed when a young man no older than seventeen walked in.

"You know your kitchen door is open right?"

"This is Jeremy," Caroline cleared her throat. She had texted him with the address when they found the house. "Jeremy," she smiled, "you know Elijah," she pointed to each of the Originals in turn, "and this is Finn, Rebekah and Kol… Elena's soulmate."

Jeremy's eyes looked over Kol slowly taking in the clear resemblance to Elijah, and remembering how his sister had told him Klaus and Elijah had other siblings.

"Yeah…" he murmured, "… that tracks."

"Excuse me?" Kol's eyes narrowed.

Bonnie and Caroline seemed to follow his train of thought; he blamed the nasty bite on Elijah's neck for his confusion.

"It's just her luck," Jeremy shrugged one shoulder, "that her soulmate is the brother of the psychopath who killed her."

"What?" Kol's eyes widened. Bottled rage made his tense muscles tremble; he was going to tear out Klaus' liver when he saw him again. With Bonnie's aid it would hopefully be in a few hours. "She died?"

Jeremy's eyes flickered to his clenched fists and tight jaw when he nodded.

"For about six hours; Bonnie brought her back."

Elijah rubbed the back of his neck. He could practically feel the animosity being directed at him from Caroline and the humans in the room.

"A spell like that would have a high cost," Finn turned to Bonnie. Had she taken the life of another to save her friend?

"Her uncle," Bonnie whispered, knowing full well everyone in the room could hear her. "He was actually her dad, but that's another story; exchanged his life for hers."

* * *

The brightly lit barroom held half a dozen men dressed in leather jackets and jeans. It was the typical biker crowd; they lounged around the room drinking and playing pool looking up only to watch the door open. The daylight streamed inside and one of the men moved out of its path to the bar. Leaning on the counter he took in the woman.

Her brown hair clung to her flushed skin. Tiny scratches covered her arms where she had pushed her sleeves up, and she was breathing hard. Sweat dripped down the sides of her red cheeks as exhaustion flashed in her doe eyes.

She stumbled to a nearby table and collapsed into a chair, by the way she pressed her head into her hands it was clear she didn't care what anyone inside thought of her ripped jeans, stained and torn sweater, and flushed appearance. The only thing that mattered to her was calming her pounding heart.

* * *

Her triumphant grin lit up her face and made it clear that inside she was glowing. The spell that none of them had been sure would work was. Glittering black sand trailed across the map settling on Louisiana; the edge pointing to the Crescent city.

Elijah stepped away from the group and located the phone he had left to charge. He pressed the device to his ear and kept one ear on the conversation.

"New Orleans?" Jeremy blinked at the map. When Kol had told him Klaus took his sister and ran he had figured the hybrid would flee the country.

"That makes sense," Rebekah inhaled. She could feel the last of the fever leaving her body as the bite healed.

"How so?" Caroline glanced at Elijah as he procured a plane.

"A prominent pack of wolves calls the city home," Kol stood up and rolled his neck back. "The French Quarter is teeming with the supernatural: vampires, werewolves, and witches."

"At least it was a century ago," Rebekah nodded. In her mind she saw the face of the last witch she had encountered in the city. The well-meaning Genevieve who's spell had inadvertently sent them all running from their father's fury.

"I'm given to understand it still does," Elijah hung up his phone.

* * *

She was hot, too hot.

The air was stifling, pressing in on her lungs.

She was ready to jump out of her skin or at the very least rip off her sweater and press her skin to the nearest cold surface. The only thing that stopped her was the sudden knowledge that she was in a dive bar.

She was in a dive bar in the middle of nowhere.

She was in a dive bar in the middle of nowhere full of leather clad men.

She was in a dive bar in the middle of nowhere full of leather clad men who were looking at her.

Suddenly her heart was pounding for another reason. The blood in her veins ran cold, but it was not the cold she longed for.

Five of the men returned to their earlier tasks of playing pool and drinking; their eyes darting to her every few moments with hunger gleaming in the darkened depths.

The last man made no attempt to hide his ravenous want.

She swallowed nervously and willed her body to move, to stand, to walk right back out into the dying light of day because even the woods filled with ominous noises and distant howls felt safer than her current position, but her muscles were frozen in place. Her eyes were glued to him.

He sauntered closer as she stared, muscles bulging beneath the black leather jacket. He watched her with an intense hunger like a man who hadn't seen food in days.

The darkness in his eyes chilled her soul.

Her body finally reacted when he sat across from her and propped an elbow on her table. She regretted the move a moment later when it drew his predatory gaze to her chest.

"What's a pretty little thing like you doing in a place like this?" He plastered on a smile that she thought was meant to be friendly, but came off as feral. "Don't you know this bar has a reputation?"

"I'm not from around here," she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Really?" He looked her up and down slowly as her cheeks returned to their normal colour.

"Really," she swallowed. Standing slowly she backed away from the table. "I got a little lost, turned around in the woods."

He stood and took a long step towards her.

"Maybe I can help," he tilted his head. Holding out his hand he gave her a suggestive look. "Why don't we get you a drink? Then I'll give you a ride."

She didn't like the way he said 'ride' accompanied with a suggestive thrust of his pelvis. Her back hit the edge of another table and she brought her hands down to grab the edges. Her heart stuttered when he took a wide stance in front of her.

"I'll give you a ride…" he grabbed her waist and pulled her flush against his body.

She released a small yelp when his hand dropped to pinch her behind.

"… You can clean up, and then I'll let you use my phone." He bent closer and drew in a long breath inhaling her scent. "Would you like that, sweetheart?"

She shook her head and ducked from under his arm. The sudden knowledge that every man in the room was staring at her like she was a tall glass of water made her blood quicken.

She never thought she would long for Klaus.

"I think I'll just use the phone here," she moved towards the bar.

She gasped when a hand appeared from nowhere and grasped her elbow in an almost painful grip.

"Phone's for paying customers only and it doesn't look like you've come with any money." Hot breath fanned over the back of her neck. "Come for a ride, baby. I'll take real good care of you."

"No thank you," she pulled her arm free. She knew there were going to be bruises. "I think I'll walk."

She was at the pool table when he grabbed her again and spun her around. One moment she was looking at the bar and the next she was sitting on the top of the pool table with her new 'friend' between her spread legs.

"Let me go," she tried to scoot back but couldn't. His grip on her thighs was too tight; it wouldn't have mattered if she was able to back up or not because the other patrons were standing around the table watching her. "I've got a friend waiting."

"You're lying," a man with curly brown hair chuckled behind her, "we can hear your heart beating."

Her mouth went dry. There was only one species on the planet capable of hearing a human heart beating, and once she thought of it she realized why her stomach had trembled with fear the first time the man between her legs had looked at her.

She started shoving the man's chest until he laughed in her face and told her he liked them fiery. Her hands instantly started fumbling on the pool table for anything she might use to defend herself. Her fingers curled around the eight ball.

"What you gonna do with that baby?" He smirked at her choice of weapon.

Berating herself for not grabbing the pool cue she looked around the room frantically. Her grip tightened around the heavy ball as she spotted something she hadn't thought a thing of before.

 _Don't miss,_  she took a deep breath and drew her arm back. Aiming was difficult with the body in front of her, but she did it. With all of her strength she released the ball and watched as it flew in slow motion.

The black plastic soared through the air as the vampire lunged for her throat, but before he could reach her carotid artery glass shattered.

The last rays of sunlight streamed through the once blackened window. The light touched his skin which instantly began to blister and bubble.

With his reflexes impaired she shoved him back into the light, grabbed another ball and broke the second window. The only remaining shadow was the space behind the door where the only vampire not screaming in agony had taken refuge.

The door was not an option for escape but the windows were low, and in spite of quitting the cheerleading squad she was still in good shape. She got up a good run and tumbled through. Her hands caught the pavement outside and forced her body into a forward roll.

She knew it had to be the adrenaline that let her come up on her feet, but the adrenaline started to fade. Any idea she'd had of letting her feet pound the pavement and getting as far away from the bar as possible flew from her head as hands grabbed her upper arms.

* * *

"What did you mean by reincarnation?" Caroline's eyes darted to Bonnie. They were speeding down the freeway on route to the airport with Kol, Rebekah, and Elijah in a car behind them.

Finn turned his attention from the blurred scenery to Caroline but his eyes didn't remain on her long before finding Bonnie.

"I met my mate once, and then I was torn away," he felt her eyes on him. "She died."

"Rebekah mentioned," Bonnie murmured.

"Your soul, Bonnie," Finn met her eyes for a moment before she turned back to the road, "it moved on. I have to assume my timer reset when you were reborn, or perhaps when you died."

"Was I a witch?" Bonnie bit her bottom lip and tapped the steering wheel.

"No, you were human."

"What was my name?"

"Laura."

* * *

"What are you doing?" Rebekah twisted around to watch Kol. He had been furiously scribbling down symbols and words.

"Making plans for Nik," he didn't look up from the page.

"You've actually got a plan?" Her brows shot up.

"Yes," he exhaled. "And luckily we're headed towards everything I'll need."

"Which would be?" Elijah took the turn off for airport.

"A paragon diamond, a witch and Nik," he finally closed the notebook. Pulling one of the daggers from his pocket he touched the tip to his index finger. "The daggers don't work on him because they're silver and in spite of being cursed his werewolf side protects him from the metal."

"So what are you gonna do?" Rebekah tilted her head.

"Change it to gold," he murmured. Kol's eyes found the other car with their brother and the girls. "How powerful is Miss Bennett?"

* * *

"Where do you think you're going?"

Elena swallowed and tipped her head back to look up into the man's flashing eyes. His cap blocked out the sun and cast a shadow over her face. Glancing down to his hand she knew the sun wouldn't be an ally anymore.

"Away," she attempted to break his grip.

He tightened his hold and nodded to the wrecked windows. He could hear fire crackling inside and the pained groans of the nightwalkers.

"You do that?" Tipping her chin up he stared into her doe-eyes. "Tell the truth."

"Yes," she bit her lip.

He turned to a man she hadn't seen before.

"Save who you can; I'm gonna take her to the boss."

"No," Elena pulled with all of her might. The last vampires intent on taking her to an unnamed entity had hand-delivered her to Elijah. Odds were these men answered to an Original, and she highly doubted it was one of the ones she liked.

"Yes," he sighed.

She supposed she was grateful when he didn't compel her before picking her up and running. Although honestly, watching the world flash by in an indistinguishable blur of colour made her wish for unconsciousness so she wouldn't feel the pit of her stomach drop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This started out as a one shot guys. And I set it aside for a bit to work on other stories. I've only got a bit of the next chapter planned and a rough idea for how the story is going to wrap up, but it might be a little while.


End file.
